Know When to Hold Him

by Lindsay Emory

  “I’ll miss you.” Liam was blunt, but Spencer appreciated it. Mostly because she reciprocated the sentiment.

  “I’ll miss you, too.”

  …

  Liam had a bad feeling after he hung up with Spencer. It continued the rest of the day. He couldn’t shrug it off during the quick flight to San Antonio or after he reached the Renegades’ offices. Looming disaster didn’t come with a warning, he told himself, and he wasn’t psychic. It must be leaving Spencer, leaving Dallas. That was the only thing that would explain the dark cloud that followed him.

  He had almost convinced himself that he just had a bad case of lovesickness when the phone rang. It was a doctor’s office on the other end of the line.

  Liam should have been ecstatic about the news.

  Definitively, medically, scientifically, Troy Duncan was not the father of Dalynn Kay’s soon-to-be-born baby. Troy had a kick-ass contract with an NFL team, his reputation and cash were locked down tight. Nothing but blue skies from here on out.

  So why did Liam still feel like a low black cloud hovered over him?

  It must be Spencer. How she’d take the news. Because, no matter what she said, this was sort of a loss for her. Or, at least, her client had lost. Liam wondered what her response would be professionally. With a negative paternity test under his belt, Troy could, with the assistance of his attorneys, smack down any challenge from Dalynn.

  Not for the first time, Liam was glad he’d talked Troy into rejecting George Clayton and Pastor Langford’s advice.

  The test was negative. It hadn’t cost Troy anything, and it was the best insurance in the world.

  Unless…Spencer had another play up her sleeve.

  Which was ridiculous. Wasn’t it?

  The game was over, the clock had run out, and Spencer had lost.

  She was going to hate that.

  Liam was still chewing on the news when he went in for a meeting with Franklin Mahoney. They chit-chatted for a while as two professionals did. They weren’t going to be friends. In fact, if negotiations ever became contentious between the team and Troy, they were likely to be adversaries. Which made him think of Spencer.

  And made him bring up the stadium. “It’s beautiful, Franklin,” Liam affirmed. “Really something for the city to be proud of.”

  Mahoney lifted his chin in pride. “It certainly is. You know, we almost didn’t get the damn thing built. If it hadn’t been for that Spencer Hightower. “

  Liam kept a blank face.

  Mahoney continued. “Never seen a girl so young be so good. She’s good at assessing the situation, you know?” Mahoney spread his hands like he was holding a globe. “She analyzes all the sides of a problem. Very astute young lady. Gives excellent advice.” He shook his gnarled finger at Liam. “You should hire her.”

  Liam tilted his head. “I don’t have any work for her to do, thankfully.”

  “She’s better at sports than you think. Like I said. Very astute. Gave me excellent advice in New York at the Draft.” Mahoney winked. “That’s why I got your boy.”

  Electricity shot up Liam’s spine. “What? What did she do?”

  “Just pointed out the obvious. How someone with a reputation like your boy’s would help the team. And she was right. You know, my scouts told me that Duncan was the number one pick for a number of teams. There was a last minute scramble for him. Even Zablowski and Williams were pushing hard for him, and you know how they keep things close to their chest.”

  “And Pittsburgh,” Liam added, remembering Jared’s reports at the Draft.

  “It’s good to go first!” The old man cackled. “Hopefully we don’t get the chance next year. I intend for our first season to see the playoffs. Mark my words…” Mahoney began describing his big Super Bowl dreams, but Liam’s unease intensified. Spencer hadn’t tried to ruin Troy’s Draft chances in New York. He’d bet his new truck that she was the one who caused the last minute mania about him, maybe even pushing Mahoney to pick Troy first.

  Spencer had played him. It was a benevolent play, ultimately. But…he couldn’t predict her.

  It was why he loved her.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Hightower & Associates was as busy as ever. Clients had called about a pesky drunk driving arrest of a Supreme Court justice and an unfortunate restaurant review in the Dallas Morning News. On its face, a bad restaurant review wasn’t something that H&A normally handled. But this involved a prominent Dallas family, a chain of successful hamburger joints, a disgruntled undocumented head chef, and some accusations that the restaurants knowingly used horse meat. It promised to be a doozy.

  But first, Spencer had an important meeting with Bibby Hepworth and Dalynn Kay. Dalynn had given her permission to her doctor for Spencer and Liam to receive the results first, in order to rapidly mobilize the respective press machines, if needed.

  That wasn’t going to be necessary now.

  The paternity test was conclusive. Troy Duncan was not the father of Dalynn’s baby.

  Spencer dreaded this meeting. She, Rainey, and Nora had gone over a couple of different strategies for breaking the news. Rainey had suggested that an aromatherapy candle be used, especially one that might start labor. Then Spencer could just rush Dalynn to the hospital and the conversation could be avoided. Nora had suggested avoiding the word “slut.” Spencer thought that was obvious, but maybe not. They had discussed whether to offer their future services.

  All voted against it.

  Bibby and Dalynn were in the conference room when Spencer came in. Dalynn was composed and hugely pregnant. From out of nowhere, Spencer wondered if Dalynn knew the truth all along. But what could she want if that was the case? Surely she didn’t think that she’d get paid off without a paternity test?

  Spencer dismissed the stream of consciousness as nonsense. Who would do that? She greeted Bibby and Dalynn and acknowledged that the paternity results had come in. “They are negative.”

  Dalynn froze. Bibby bobbed her head. “Well then.” Bibby’s voice was clipped. “There’s a daddy out there somewhere.” Spencer flinched inside. That comment was about two degrees away from the “slut” word.

  “What did Troy say?” Dalynn asked, her voice rising. “Did he say anything?”

  Spencer stared at her. She hadn’t prepared for this question. “Not that I’m aware,” Spencer managed. “Since this wasn’t public…”

  Dalynn cut Spencer off. “What the fuck? He can’t do this. He can’t just throw me away.”

  Spencer understood it, then. She knew Dalynn had been angry at Troy, but Spencer had chalked it up to the emotions of a pregnant woman, scared to be a mother, and a single one at that. It wasn’t that. Maybe Dalynn had known Troy wasn’t the father, maybe she hadn’t. She wasn’t angry about the paternity. She was angry about being left behind. About being abandoned. While the love of her life moved on, to bright lights and Monday night games, Dalynn Kay remained in Dallas, alone.

  “Dalynn.” Spencer used her name, to get her to focus, to calm down. “Bibby’s right. You still need to establish paternity with the baby’s father. You’ll get support then, with Bibby’s help.” Spencer gave the floor to Bibby who chimed in with some comforting family court statistics, but she could tell Dalynn’s anger was not subsiding. It was unfortunate, but Spencer had nothing left to do for her.

  “You can stay at the hotel for a few more days, if you like. I really hope you keep in touch. We can’t wait to hear all about the baby. I’ll come visit you in the hospital…”

  “What, I’m trash now that Troy Duncan isn’t the father of my baby?”

  Spencer took a deep breath and kept her voice even. “No, that’s not true. But you have no more need of our services.”

  “Whatever,” Dalynn snapped and stood up as quickly as her girth would allow. She was about to storm out, but then she stopped and stared at Spencer. “He can’t get away with treating me like this.”

  Spencer empathized with the woman who had been l
eft behind. “No, he shouldn’t,” was all she could say.

  That answer wasn’t enough for Dalynn, who left in a huff. Bibby soon followed, muttering about hormonal clients. Spencer wondered how long Bibby would be representing Dalynn. The fact was Bibby Hepworth was one of the most expensive family law attorneys in the city. If the next paternity candidate wasn’t someone with a significant income, Dalynn probably couldn’t afford Bibby, and losing her fancy lawyer wasn’t going to help Dalynn’s pride.

  Spencer updated Rainey and Nora and then returned to her office to focus on the next scandal: Horse meat in Dallas hamburgers. Spencer made a face. It wasn’t sexy, but it would capture the public’s attention for the next few years. The strategy would be tough. Texans loved their horses. They also loved a big, thick burger. It would be difficult to convince people that horse meat is delicious, even if they had thought so when they unknowingly ate it. Maybe it was environmentally friendly? Organic? Spencer made a face. She always won. She’d find a way to make people love horse meat, or bury it under a bunch of horseshit.

  The afternoon was filled with phone calls and research and a few drafts of press releases. The ladies briefly discussed take out for dinner then Nora screeched down the hall. Spencer raced into the conference room and spotted, in a precious pale pink dress a prettily pregnant Dalynn. The headline on the TV read: “Renegade Baby Daddy.”

  Spencer cursed creatively and loudly.

  …

  Liam didn’t pick up when she called. A hard knot formed in her throat. This was bad. BAD. BAD BAD BAD. Bad with a capital B, underlined and highlighted.

  Spencer punched his number again. She wasn’t letting him avoid her. Voicemail. Dammit. “It’s me. I didn’t do it. We need to talk.”

  Three minutes later, she was on his voicemail again. “Liam, seriously, call me back. I fired Dalynn today, I promise you. She’s gone rogue.”

  She counted to one hundred and called back. This time, he picked up, his voice tense and short. “What?”

  “I called you as soon as I heard.”

  “What the fuck? The test was negative, Spencer. You think I didn’t get those results?”

  “I know you got them. I got them, too. That’s what I’m trying to tell you. I didn’t plan this. Dalynn is pissed, and she pulled this all on her own.”

  There was a long pause. “I’m supposed to believe that.”

  Panic rose in Spencer. There was a lot at stake, here. Too much. “Yes, because I’m telling you the truth. Rainey and Nora can tell you. As of this afternoon, Dalynn Kay is no longer a client of Hightower & Associates. I did not arrange for her press release or the press conference.”

  “How did you know?” Liam’s voice was clipped.

  “I just saw it on TV…”

  “No. How did you know that she had a press release?”

  Spencer pressed a hand to her forehead. “I just…guessed. We had one prepared from before…” Her stomach was a lead balloon. Don’t tell me…

  “A press release was faxed to Renegades headquarters. On Hightower & Associates’ letterhead.”

  “Liam, I swear to you, I didn’t…” Spencer grasped for anything that would prove her defense. “Look at the date-we always put the date on press releases, to show…” She trailed off. Telling Liam about their previous PR plans against Troy wasn’t helping. “I will bury this. I will make it go away,” she swore.

  “Bury the body, Spencer? Make it so Troy has everything to lose so he’ll sign a check faster?”

  Shock fizzled all her brain cells. “What? You think I would do that? You know me!”

  “I do. And I know you’ll do anything to win. Like manipulating team owners to sign Troy. Pushing him into a corner right where you wanted him. Did you think that if you got your buddy Mahoney on board that you’d be controlling things? That Mahoney would be wrapped around your pretty little finger, do whatever you asked with Troy’s contract no matter what happened with the test?” There was a strangled laugh. “That’s totally your style, right? Like when you played poker with Zach? It looks like someone else is playing when you’re the one calling the shots. We’re all just pawns on the board to you, right? You played us all, put us right where you wanted, so you could win.”

  And then a chill came over her. The chill she felt right before she went head to head with someone, right before she went to battle. But this was wrong. She shouldn’t be battling this man. Not now. Not after she’d fallen for him.

  “We had a confidentiality agreement, Spencer. We shook on it. You promised to keep this hush-hush. And you reneged.”

  “No…” Spencer shook her head even though he couldn’t see her.

  “I have no choice. I have to represent my client, now. I’m pulling the plug. You’ll be hearing from the station in about two minutes.”

  No. This was her career. Her career depended on her word, on her relationships with media outlets, on her 100% success rate.

  Journalism was a small enterprise. They’d all know that Spencer Hightower was the one who let this one get away. That she was the reason that OPM athletes were banned from speaking to anyone who talked to Dalynn Kay, Hightower & Associates client. And next time Spencer had a client who needed a favor, who would trust her then?

  She grasped at straws. “You’re right about me manipulating the team owners. I wanted the best possible contract for Troy. The more money he got, the more money my client got, if he was the baby’s father. But you’re wrong about the rest. I won when Troy agreed to the paternity test,” Spencer informed him, ice hanging from each word. “I was done then, and I’m done now.”

  Now it was Liam’s turn to pause. She hoped she had scared him. “What does that mean?”

  With a slow, deliberate click, Spencer hung up on Liam Connelly.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  A quick survey of the office and two calls to the television stations confirmed Spencer’s fears. Dalynn had kept a copy of a draft press release and submitted it to the stations. Thankfully, H&A dated every single release, and when it was pointed out to the stations that this release had been dated a week earlier, they agreed to return copies to H&A and not refer to it again.

  But the damage had been done. Spencer had a copy of the release, but she wasn’t sure it would be enough. Not for Liam.

  The fact that he hadn’t believed in her hurt. She asked herself what she would have done in his position. Would she have been the better person? Or would she have jumped to the same conclusion, especially after seeing the letterhead? Maybe.

  There was a knock at her office door. Rainey stood in the doorway, a phone in one hand, a notebook in another, and her hair done in some complicated purple and brown updo. Spencer motioned her in, and Rainey settled into a chair.

  “How bad is it?” Spencer asked.

  Rainey looked grim. “Pretty bad. Especially since we’re not involved.”

  “Do we need to be?” Spencer racked her brain for anything to make this right.

  “No.” Rainey was firm. “She’s not our client. She did this on her own, and she knows it. We don’t jump in now.”

  Spencer tapped the old press release on her desk. “What’s our obligation to Troy?” This question was quieter. “We wrote this…”

  “No.” Rainey’s tone was stern, and it caught Spencer’s attention. “We’re not going there. We didn’t do this, it’s clear to everyone that this was a draft release that was sent out without our buy-in.”

  “He’s never going to trust me again. I gave my word and it means nothing.” Spencer’s voice was shaky.

  Rainey didn’t say anything. Spencer shook her head.

  “He’s furious. Troy’s career…”

  Rainey cut Spencer off. “Will be fine. No one’s crying for the man who just got a ten figure signing bonus.”

  “I don’t think it was that much…”

  “Does it matter? Troy is a big boy. Welcome to the big leagues. Shit happens, put your helmet and cleats on, and man up.”


  Spencer gave Rainey a pointed stare. “I thought you didn’t like football.”

  “I hate it. But I’m not going to sit here and let you feel sorry for yourself.”

  “I’m not feeling sorry for myself.”

  Rainey lifted her eyes to the ceiling, unconvinced.

  “Just…humor me. Talk me through this. Is there anything we can do to shut this down?” Spencer waved Nora into the office. Nora shrugged.

  “The usual. Call in favors, promise stuff. But Troy’s not our client,” Nora maintained.

  “And neither is Dalynn. We don’t have leverage. And we shouldn’t care.” Rainey underlined her words with a pointed finger.

  “Do we want to waste our favors on this?” Nora asked the room. “The horse meat thing is going to be sticky. It’s going to take a lot to drag our clients out of that.”

  “Our real, paying clients,” Rainey added.

  Spencer nodded. She knew they were right. Professionally, it didn’t make sense to become any more involved with Troy and Dalynn, even if personally, every impulse she had told her to jump in and fix it. She hated loose ends, and Dalynn going rogue was the loosest of loose ends, but this was one she was going to have to let go.

  Especially with Liam on the other end of the rope.

  …

  The full force of the Renegades public relations department was all over the Dalynn Kay story. In hours, sports columnists had the full details of the negative paternity test. Pastor Langford had spoken on Troy’s behalf on no fewer than five media outlets. The story’s damage was quickly limited, not only by the Renegades’ PR staff but by the goodwill Troy had banked during the last week of high profile community service events.

  Liam was pissed, no doubt about it. The story should never have come out.

  How could she have done this?

  After everything?

  Sure, she’d vehemently denied any involvement, but Liam wasn’t sure if he’d ever believe it hadn’t been Spencer. Evidence spoke otherwise. This was exactly the kind of thing she’d held up her sleeve all along. George had said as much in New York.

  When he’d seen the Hightower & Associates’ letterhead, it was like he’d been slapped. Like an idiot. Like he’d been drunk, passed out, and someone had taken advantage and drawn a beard on him with a black permanent marker. Taken for a fool, by a lying liar of a woman.